31 December 2005

Forget vaccines to protect us from AIDS and avian influenza. Got a planned design for an automobile that gets 100 miles to the gallon? Pish and tosh.

Courageous scientists at the School of Textiles and Design at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland are tackling a serious problem--and the answer will be a boon to clothing manufacturers, not to mention beleaguered husbands, boyfriends, and significant others around the world.

They seek a scientific, definitive method for answering the question, "Does this outfit make my ass look fat?"

Models with variously sized posteriors will wear different types of clothing as part of the research, which will examine how designs, colours, patterns and fabric types affect perception.

Others will be asked to assess how big or small each model's backside appears to look in the outfits.

"This study will provide for the first time detailed and usable information that would enable designers to make the clothes that help women make the most of their natural assets," said Dr Lisa Macintyre, who is leading the study.